[SHARPMACHINE]

Making progress. Hope you get to run it this year.

 

[xj4life]

Doing my best to make progress every week 🤘 Unless something major comes up it really should be ready for at least a shakedown run this year. All the major systems are there, its just a matter of finishing them all.

 

[Plato2k5]

Lets go!!! Maybe we can meet up at the Badlands park this year.

 

[xj4life]

Lets go!!! Maybe we can meet up at the Badlands park this year.

That would be a lot of fun if I can get it to that point.

 

[xj4life]

Looking ahead at plumbing for brakes...Thoughts on a single lever cutting brake? 3/4" bore with rear single piston calipers? Not sure where I'll package it but seems like it would be handy to have.

 

[xj4life]

Decided to go with the inexpensive 1550 stock shafts. Crazy how much bigger they are than the 1480.

 

[xj4life]

Working on my own locking system to keep the 14 bolt axle shaft bolts from loosening. Should know early next week if it'll work out.

 

[feva4u]

Blue lock tite. Don’t overthink it. Haven’t seen one missing from anyone’s rig yet…..

 

[xj4life]

Saw enough posts about people having issues with them loosening and I thought it would be a fun thing to design.

Plates turned out good. Need to pick up more cotter pins to finish it off.

 

[Plato2k5]

Cool idea. I never had an issue with bolts backing out. However, I know this is more common with hardened shafts. I just blue loctite them. Will see if I have issues. If I do, I thought about just drilling the heads and saftey wiring them. Give it that cool aviation feel! Cool solution to an issue that should work.

 

[xj4life]

I thought about wiring them as well but if they ever had to come out it seemed like it would be a pain in the ass.

 

[Plato2k5]

I dig the design and you having the ability to make them! Would look nice out of some billet...... hmm......

 

[xj4life]

I dig the design and you having the ability to make them! Would look nice out of some billet...... hmm......

I'm pretty fortune to work where I do and buddies that'll run g-jobs for me 😁

Got some cardboard boxes from American Iron and Branik this week. Fingers crossed I'll make some solid progress on the front axle on Sunday.

 

[xj4life]

Those of you running the 05 and newer front 60's....and might be the 99-04 too. Did you keep the factory vacuum seal on the axle shaft? Google search didn't give me to much info other than probably helps keep dirt and water out for longer bearing life. Just don't feel like fighting that seal if I don't need to. If it's worth keeping I thought about trying to sand the rubber down a little so it's not so difficult to install and smear some grease to help seal out water.

 

[whiterhino]

I agree with the loctite or simply torque them properly. I had my 14b axle shaft come loose once but 100% my fault. I broke one and did a parking lot repair using my 3/8 cordless impact to tighten them. Forgot to go back and give them a good tighten with a wrench.

 

[JohnnyJ]

I had them on for initial assembly. I had to repair balljoints last summer and I ditched because they were a PITA.

 

[whiterhino]

Is that a keyway or did you cut really deep to get a bearing off?

 

[JohnnyJ]

that groove is from the factory. i think maybe to allow vacuum hubs to operate.

 

[xj4life]

Yeah that's how they came out of the box

 

[xj4life]

Front axle is pretty close to being wrapped up. Just need to figure out something to reinforce the long spans on the front bash bar and finalize hardware for the tie rod-to-knuckle. Used a crane scale and my engine hoist to get some as-is weights, then guessed on the rest. Guessing it'll come in at 4,250-4,500 lbs fully loaded with two people, fluids, tools, etc. Time to make my final decision on shocks and give Accutune a call. Think I'm going to stick with 2.5" coilovers but not get air bumps yet. I'll put the cans on the chassis but just do some shafts and thread on some poly bumps. Just can't swallow the extra grand for air bumps.

And its time to start pulling the motor for what I hope to be an easy rebuild/refresh.